Sources of Happiness
“Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.” *
Surprises, at least nice ones, always make me happy! I like unexpected gifts: a card in the mail from a friend; flowers on special occasions; treats hidden in grocery bags when Al does the shopping; an unsolicited offer of help from a kind hearted person…
Happiness is found in surprising others too! What fun on Mothers’ day when Al and I decided to surprise our daughter, Shanda, with a cup of hot Chai Tea latte — her favorite. The only problem was we didn’t know about the cell phone app that was needed to purchase it!
When we got to the coffee shop, a masked attendant asked if we were picking up an order. Upon finding out we had no such app on our phone, he made the drink anyway, no charge. “It’s on us this time!” he said.
After putting the cup of tea and a card on Shanda’s front doorstep, we smiled and waved, gave her pantomime hugs as she stood by the front room window, and then went on our way. She texted later it made her happy! Hurray! What joy it is to have a close relationship with her!
Even though many of our regular activities have been curtailed, Al and I have found much happiness in spending time together here at home. Working on jigsaw puzzles and reading Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe, out loud every night are enjoyable things to do.
I had forgotten almost everything about Robinson Crusoe due to reading it many years ago. Consequently, I was surprised to read about Crusoe’s soul searching on the second “anniversary” of his solitary life on the island. On that day, sorrow from his predicament, the wild lifestyle he had led as a seaman and also from rebelling against his parents’ wishes brought him to his knees before God; and a new relationship was begun with His maker.
Crusoe began reading a Bible he had found packed inside a chest recovered from his wrecked ship. Until he made Bible reading a daily habit, he experienced great periods of depression and sorrow over being “held a prisoner” on the island.
“One morning being very sad, I opened my Bible on these words, ‘I will never, never leave you or abandon you….’” (Hebrews 13:5)
“Well then,” I said, “if God does not abandon me, how bad can it be, or what does it matter? Though the world had forgotten me, if I had the whole world and would lose the kindness and blessing of God, there would be no comparison in the loss.” (Robinson Crusoe, Modern English Translation, Kindle Version, Chapter 8)
During the year that followed, Crusoe spent much time dwelling on the goodness and mercy of God. Gratitude began to fill his heart and amazingly, he became more content.
“…I could hardly have named a place in the uninhabitable part of the world where I could have been cast away more to my advantage. A place where, though I had no society, I also found no ravenous beasts and no furious wolves or tigers to threaten my life, no venomous creatures or poisons and no savages to murder and devour me.
“As my life was a life of sorrow one way, so it was a life of mercy another and I wanted nothing to make it a life of comfort but to be able to make sense of God’s goodness to me and care over me in this condition and be my daily consolation. After I understood all this, I wasn’t sad anymore.” (Chapter 9) Pretty amazing words from someone on a remote island with little hope of rescue.
Happiness is found in receiving and being grateful for blessings as gifts from God. It’s also found in loving others and being loved in return. And most certainly, lasting happiness, overflowing joy, comes from a close personal relationship with God through Jesus. When we stop pursuing our own happiness and start doing the things that make God happy, we find fulfillment and life!
“Happiness is to know the Savior, Living a life within His favor, Having a change in my behavior, Happiness is the Lord.” (“Happiness is the Lord,” Heritage Singers) *Luke 9:23-24 NIV Judy Lowery lives in Michigan. The Good News column appears on the Religion pages of the Recorder. You can read more at Judy’s blog, goodnewswithjudy.blogspots.com